Back In Time vs ElkarBackup alt Snapper
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Back In Time
Simple backup tool inspired by Apple Time Machine
VS
ElkarBackup alt Snapper
Btrfs snapshot management tool with rollback
| Feature | Back In Time | ElkarBackup alt Snapper |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,641 | ★ 1,158 |
| First released | 2008 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
Why pick each one
Choose Back In Time if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose ElkarBackup alt Snapper if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or ElkarBackup alt Snapper better?
Back In Time is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ElkarBackup alt Snapper if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Back In Time and ElkarBackup alt Snapper free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and ElkarBackup alt Snapper under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and ElkarBackup alt Snapper with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. ElkarBackup alt Snapper: check the project docs for container support.